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The Twittersphere has been in overdrive this week, here are all the social media updates you need to know this week.
Twitter
Right, there’s A LOT to get through this week in Twitter-land. First up, the New York Times reported that Twitter is considering auctioning off over a billion unused handles to raise funds. More updates to follow.
They’ve rolled out a swipeable timeline, making it easier to switch between the algorithm-defined feed (For You) and a chronological one (Following) made up of users you follow in the app.
A small, cute addition to the platform has landed in the form of “hashfetti”. You know how on Facebook if you use a certain phrase like “Congratulations” in a comment, a flurry of confetti floods your screen? Like that, but with a related graphic.
Halfway through, stay with us! The bookmark button is now in a more prominent place, now living in the top right corner of the screen (on mobile).
In February we can expect long-form Tweets to land, along with text formatting options such as bold text, underline, etc. Long-form Tweets are an attempt to stop users directing people off the app, because the longer you stay on the app, the better for them.
And finally! They’re developing Tweet awards as a way to increase monetisation opportunities for creators. From the sounds of it, this is similar to Facebook Stars and TikTok Live gifts but a bit more wide-ranging in terms of the actual emojis used.
What does this mean for me?
If you’re currently using a sub-optimal handle, this could be an excellent thing for you. Currently you have to closely monitor the handle you want and jump when it becomes free. Auctioning them off could make the whole thing easier.
The algorithm-defined feed is jam-packed with recommended updates, increasing your chance to get in front of potentially interested people. The key here is creating interesting content that will get people engaged.
We’re not sure on the actual process of creating the graphic confetti, all we know so far is that you need to be a Twitter advertiser. The potential is great, you could use it to create a more engaging experience on the app, increasing your brand awareness.
A more prominent bookmark button has the potential to increase engagement. Which is a good thing for you if you are running a specific campaign or aiming to increase brand awareness.
Long-form Tweets and better text options have the potential to help you increase engagement, but beyond that they shouldn’t have much impact on you.
Right now, Tweet Awards don’t mean a whole lot. But if/when they do eventually roll out, they’ll be another way for you as a creator to earn from the platform. Which sounds pretty good to us!
Instagram
Well hello new UI (sort of). Ye, Instagram’s rejigging the bottom navigation bar on the main screen. From February, the Shopping tab will disappear entirely (a sign that it isn’t taking off quite as they had hoped) and the button for creating content will shift to the middle. So maybe it’s not revolutionary, but it does give us an insight as to what they’re focusing on.
What does this mean for me?
If you have an Instagram shop, you’ll still be able to direct users to it. So the changes to the home screen are going to have a minimal impact.
Facebook/Meta
They’re upping their data privacy processes for young users, in an attempt to restrict how teens can be targeted by ads. As part of this, in March they’re adding the ability for teens to opt out of ad topics altogether, which is a very good move in our book. The reasoning behind this is that they argue teens aren’t as equipped as adults to make decisions about how their data is used.
The first stage of the Variance Reduction System has been released, which has been developed with the Department of Justice to reduce bias and increase the equitable distribution of ads across Meta’s apps.
What does this mean for me?
Meta can explain this best – “Age and location will be the only information about a teen that we’ll use to show them ads. Age and location help us continue to ensure teens see ads that are meant for their age and products and services available where they live.” If you are targeting teens, you’ll still be able to reach them with ads, just in a more restricted way.
The new system could be a good thing if you’re using ads as it measures the actual audience reach for each ad to ensure a broader spread of exposure based on various audience factors. Which means more people seeing your ads.
TikTok
You’ll soon be able to tag TV shows and movies in your uploads, powered by IMDb. The info will then be displayed above the video caption, directing users to a dedicated page in the app which will display basic info about that content.
What does this mean for me?
If you do post content from TV and film, this is an excellent way to give credit to the original creator, which could help keep you on the right side of copyright. And if you’re in TV or film, this is a great way to increase exposure for your projects.
That’s it for this week folks! Remember to sign up for weekly updates direct to your inbox and follow us on LinkedIn for more tips. See you next week!